Sound and the transmission thereof in buildings, particularly between floors in multistory dwellings and commercial buildings, can be a serious problem. Transmitted sound is typically caused by impact generated by forceful meeting of an object with a floor or airborne sound. The transmission of sound between floors may disturb or be an annoyance to individuals present in the area below or adjacent to the room in which the sound is generated.
In general, impact sound is generated due to pedestrian footfall on the floor, movement of objects over the floor, and any other contact made with the floor. Airborne sound is usually due to speech, sound from audio and video equipment, and sound from other objects such as toys, computers, video games, kitchen appliances, fans, and the like. The transmission of sound between floors is particularly a problem where the upper finished flooring is made of flooring, such as concrete, ceramic tiles, hardwood, or resilient flooring. Installation of thick carpeting may be required to prevent the transmission of sound. However, in multi-family, stacked construction, hard surfaces are desirable, yet noisy for surrounding neighbors. Additionally, in many instances, carpet is not an aesthetically desirable component.
An alternative to the use of carpeting to prevent sound transmission has been the use of a sound rated floor system, such as that disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,685,259, or a floating floor, such as that disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,879,856. The use of sound rated floor system or a floating floor substantially reduces the transmission of sound between floors by isolating the flooring from the floor substructure. Products that create a floating floor have resilience and create an air space, where the thicker the air space is and the more the resilience, the better is its performance. Accordingly, what is needed is an improved sound control system that is inexpensive, simple and quick to install, and is resilient.